Sac State lauds student support at WELL opening

With a crowd of students, faculty, staff and community leaders looking on, Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez cut the ribbon this morning and officially opened The WELL - the University's new recreation and wellness center.

The gleaming 151,000 square-foot building combines health and fitness under one roof and in one program. Health offerings include primary and urgent care clinics, a pharmacy, retail optometry and a nutrition center. Recreation and fitness opportunities include four basketball courts, four racquetball courts, cardio-weight training, bouldering and rock-climbing walls. The WELL was paid for with a student fee approved by the students in a campus-wide referendum. No state funds were used.

"Students, the day has finally arrived, and look what you did," Gonzalez told the crowd during opening ceremonies. "You worked to design it, you agreed to pay for it, and now you can enjoy it."

Assemblymember Alyson Huber noted how the facility had been designed and built during some of the toughest economic times. She added she was somewhat envious of the students gathered for the occasion. "Man I wish I had something like this when I was in college," Huber said.

Also on hand for the celebration was Peter Ucovich, who was student body president when the campus approved funding of The Well. "It's a wonderful day to be here and see what coming together really can accomplish," he said.

When the official ceremonies were over, the crowd surged into The Well to sample its offerings, including basketball courts, rock climbing, and weight machines.

The entrance atrium has a 40-foot wide skylight made of a thermo-plastic material that helps regulate building temperature. At night, the atrium will emanate a soft light, serving as a beacon for the campus. The facility is available to current students, faculty and staff, as well as recent alumni who paid the fee but graduated before the building's completion.